Important Updates for Investors
Carla Pasternak's Premiere Issue of High-Yield International Just
Released
Income expert Carla Pasternak's debut issue of High-Yield
International covers a Taiwanese manufacturer yielding 9.5%... a
rare Mexican monopoly yielding 13.4%... and other top-performing
investments yielding up to 19.0%.
Government's Biofuel Timetable Could Spell +15,900% Growth
+15,900% growth might seem far-fetched... but it's not. In fact, it
is mandated by law. And I've identified the ONLY stock positioned to
capture this growth.
The
Silver Lining to a Falling Dollar
Despite the U.S. national debt, there is a silver lining for income
investors. This massive spending, combined with movement out of U.S.
Treasuries, is going to take its toll on the dollar, and
international income investors could reap the rewards in the form of
higher dividends. |
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Overview:
The S&P 500 index is probably the most commonly referenced U.S. equity
benchmark. This diverse index comprises over 70% of the total market cap of all
stocks traded in the U.S. First developed in 1923, the index initially contained
233 stocks. However, in 1957 it was modified to include a diversified basket of
500 common stocks.
Composition:
The S&P 500 is not comprised of simply the 500 largest U.S. stocks. Instead,
it consists primarily of leading companies from a wide variety of different
economic sectors. The index started with 23 identified sectors, but today
contains over 100 unique sectors. Most analysts choose to use the S&P as
their preferred benchmark index thanks to its diversified sector coverage as
well as its market value weighting. Because the index is weighted by market cap,
the largest firms have the greatest impact on the S&P's value.
The table below lists the current top ten holdings in the
S&P 500 as well as the top ten sectors represented in the index (data as of
July 2004):
| Company |
Symbol |
%
of Index |
| General Electric |
GE |
3.2%
|
| Microsoft |
MSFT |
2.9% |
| ExxonMobil |
XOM |
2.7% |
| Pfizer |
PFE |
2.5% |
| Citigroup |
C |
2.3% |
| Wal-Mart Stores |
WMT |
2.1% |
| American Intl. Group |
AIG |
1.8% |
| Intel |
INTC |
1.7% |
| Bank of America |
BAC |
1.6% |
| Johnson & Johnson |
JNJ |
1.6% |
|
| Sector |
% of Index
|
| Financial Services |
20.3% |
| Healthcare |
13.4% |
| Industrial Materials |
12.2% |
| Hardware |
10.8% |
| Consumer Goods |
9.7% |
| Consumer Services |
8.8% |
| Energy |
6.5% |
| Software |
4.5% |
| Business Services |
3.9% |
| Media |
3.9% |
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Positives:
This index is probably the single best way to track the overall performance of
our nation's largest and most dominant companies. Most investors are familiar
with the S&P 500 and the index is extremely liquid.
Drawbacks:
Because they are unlikely to qualify due to the index's high market cap
requirements, the S&P 500 does not provide investors with exposure to some
of the smaller, yet in many cases faster growing, companies on the market. In
addition, because it is market value weighted, the largest companies in the
index have a disproportionate amount of influence on the S&P 500's results.
How can I trade/invest in this index?
A number of different mutual funds track the performance of the S&P 500.
However, the most convenient and cost-effective way to trade this index is to
purchase the S&P SPDRs (symbol SPY). This exchange-traded fund, which is
commonly referred to as "spyders" or "spiders," tracks the
performance of the S&P 500, sports an extremely low 0.12% expense ratio and
can easily be bought or sold on the open market just like a regular common
stock. For more information on this ETF, please consult our ETF
Profiles page.
Additional Information:
Standard & Poor’s
AMEX (American Stock Exchange) SPDRs
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Who Cares What the Market is Doing When You're Pulling in $28,900 a
Year in Dividends?
With the safe, growing, high-yield picks that Editor Carla Pasternak
recommends every month you don't have to worry whether or not the
market has bottomed. You can sit back and collect annual dividend
paychecks of $16,300, $19,900 or even $28,900!
You can't go wrong looking into Carla's recommendations. A year from
now, when you've collected as much as $28,900 from dividends alone
you'll be glad you did. Take the first step and,
read this report now.
Seven "Yield Doubler" Stocks That Are Clobbering The Dow
Just 12 trading days before the market hit its 6,500-point low this
year, the "Yield Doublers" portfolio was born. That was
almost 4 months
ago. The Dow has rebounded +12% since then -- but our seven "Yield
Doublers" have clobbered that figure by a factor of up to 9-to-1...
delivering up to +144.2% gains to boot!
Go here to see why you should add these "Yield Doublers" to your
portfolio today.
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We're
Putting $50,000 on the Line in Our NEW Stock of the Month Portfolio
We're SO confident in this strategy
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Calistri just made her first purchase, and it's not too late for you to
join in and follow along with everything she does.
Don't
be left on the sidelines, click here to learn more now.
Two
Infrastructure Stocks That Are Profiting From Massive Government
Spending
Since the stimulus package was signed into law on
February 17th, these two infrastructure picks have moved up quickly.
One's a worldwide construction company that's already gained +32% to
date. The other makes critical copper, aluminum and fiber optic
cables... and shot up +41% in a matter of just weeks. Both are headed
higher. You’ll find their names in this special report. |
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3
Penny Stocks Poised to Soar 300%
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you could be sitting on a fortune. Click
here to get immediate access to an exclusive Free report --
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Investing Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This |
Stock picker Amy
Calistri's strategy is as simple as investing gets -- just one idea
a month designed to make money in today's market. Invest this way
and you don't have to worry about oil prices, automaker bailouts, or
what the Fed is up to -- because every "bad" economic development
actually helps some investment or another.Your investing life can
get a lot simpler -- starting today.
Go here to learn about Amy's simple investing strategy.
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